Biennials can be fooled into thinking it is their second year. It's done intentionally with artichokes by chilling the starts for a certain length of time. So I think your guess about the onions' struggle is a good one. I think if you start them next year using the method that worked for you last year, you will have success.

From what I understand, only starts will produce large onions. I'm still working on getting my methods right.

Jim

Hi Jimster,

I got lots larger onions from seed than I ever did from sets. I start them inside in late Feb. If they grow until August that's plenty of time. If I remember correctly, when I was growing onions from seed in San Diego, I planted them in November and they were ready in the beginning of May. I'm not sure what you mean by "starts", sets or plants? I have never bought plants, I'm way too cheap. That's part of why I changed my seeding method. It is too costly too even with its good results. So I'm going to actually try a third method next year. This year I used this bad potting soil and they were very unhappy.

We had a weird, warm March followerd by a sub-zero April, but I think I didn't put out the little onion plants 'til after that was over, so I don't think they got the artichoke treatment. I don't think they would have survived it. Thanks for your thoughts!

By starts I meant plants, which is what I think you meant by starts from seed. Or maybe you are differentiating the plants that you, yourself, start from seed from purchased ones. This gets confusing. Many gardeners I talk with don't use the term 'sets' and are unaware that plants are available. With them, my conversations about onions just go in circles. LOL

This year I had not intended to grow onions. Then I saw some six packs stuffed with small plants of Spanish onions for a couple of bucks. It was late for planting and those who had planted sets had tall onions already. I put in the plants and, to my surprise, they have now caught up everyone elses onions. They haven't started to bulb up yet, which is good because I want the tops to grow as large as possible. I have my fingers crossed that they will be good sized onions.

Anyway, good luck with your onion endeavors.

Jim

They must have got a good dose of cold weather early on; the sets weren't affected perhaps because they weren't sprouted at that time, though those plants will probably bolt later in the summer.

Are you aware of long-day vs short-day? Your mention of san diego makes me wonder.

Jimster, my starts-from-seed also caught up and surpassed the bulblet "sets" that I planted. I really think that if one can navigate the seed starting and transplanting hurdles (which are totally necessary in the north) then you get some really nice onions in the end. I bet you will be pleased with your purchase.

Thanks for mentioning day-length, pn. I planted different onions in San Diego than I am planting here. I can't remember which kind they were exactly, because it was ten years ago I was just starting out and didn't write everything down yet. But I did look things up before I planted. Anyway they bulbed up at the proper time in May, and these Bastilles from Stokes are bulbing up at their proper time, at the beginning of August. (They are listed as an early variety of storage onion, 100 days. I went with Stokes seeds because they are in Buffalo, New York, and often list a plant's north-worthiness. I don't think they even have a granex-type onion offered.)

I think the guess you made in your original post is as good as any, that biennials can go into their 'second' year if they undergo a period of struggle, whether cold or some other reason. Actually, I think it may simply be a period of cessation of growth which causes it. This is all speculation on my part though.

Jim